


Family Rescue Mission

by Four_Five_Still_Alive



Series: Nick and Ellis [5]
Category: Left 4 Dead (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Game: Left 4 Dead 2, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-01-07 05:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18404402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Four_Five_Still_Alive/pseuds/Four_Five_Still_Alive
Summary: When Ellis is wounded and stranded outside the compound husband Nick and daughter Ellie set out to find him a return him home. With the help of a young cadet they have to brave the zombie no-mans-land to find their family and bring him back safe, but as usual with the zombieverse, its not going to be simple.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I actually wrote one more instillation that came between 'Starmark' and this one but I really have trouble sharing it because I wrote a rape scene in it... It makes me really uncomfortable that I even wrote it and its honestly SUPPOSED to be a very emotionally volatile scene but I'm just not sure I can share it because rape really bugs me and I'm pretty surprised I even came up with it as a plot device.   
> I don't think I put any references to it in this story but if I did and if anyone wants to read it I will post it, but because it is such a disturbing scene to me I think I won't post it unless someone asks for it.   
> I hope you enjoy this one though!

“Ahh!!!”

 

Ellis fell forward skinning his elbow and palms as he landed on the deteriorating road. A zombie had clawed its way out of a pile of debris and sunk its teeth into his leg taking a large chunk of flesh with it. He felt the sickening sensation of his fibula cracking under the strength of the zombies bite, but the adrenaline rushing through his body delayed the pain. He turned propping himself up on his bloody elbow to shoot his attacker straight through the forehead.

 

“Captain!” A young military scout stooped to help him.

 

“Git outta here!” He lashed out his arm warning the young man away.

 

“Captain I can’t!”

 

“Leave! Go back ta the compound an’ warn ‘em! Thats an order!”

 

“Captain if I show up without you Major King will-“

 

“What are y’ more ‘fraid of? Every one ya love n care about gettin eaten by zombies or ma angry husband?”

 

“…Major king is a close second sir.”

 

“My daughter’s in that town. Nick’ll understand.”

 

The cadet frowned with determination and lifted his captains upper body on to his back.

 

“What the hell are you doing? I gave you an order!”

 

“And I intend to follow it sir. But I’m not going to leave you out in the open. Major King and I will be coming back for you.”

 

Ellis was shocked. He began to feel weak as the pain set in.

 

“Ah’ve trained a lot o’ scavengers an’ zombie fighters ya know. I didn’t think any of ‘em could surprise me, but you…you surprise me kid…”

 

“I’ll take that as a compliment sir.” The young man said as he kicked in a door.

 

“Whats yer name?” Ellis asked weakly as he settled in behind the convenience store counter.

 

“Cadet James sir.”

 

“Ah know that. Whats yer _full_ name?”

 

“…Cadet Kamau James.”

 

“Kamau James…” Ellis was covered in a cold sweat as he tried to keep his wits about him.

 

“Are you going to be alright sir?”

 

“Ah’ve been in this position before…I’ll live. Jus get back to the compound already. That horde is on the move.”

 

Kamau removed the additional ammunition from his belt and placed it in Ellis’s lap along with additional medical supplies.

 

“I’ll be back for you Captain Dei.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

Nick had a feeling of dread at Ellis’s absence. It wasn’t uncommon for him to come home late from a raid. Especially when he was training cadets. It also wasn’t uncommon for Nick to feel worried. He had learned to ignore it.

 

“Hey sweetie, hows dinner coming?”

 

“Fine!” Ellie called from the kitchen sounding a bit stressed.

 

“I know you’re really determined to learn how to cook but try not to burn the place…again.”

 

“Shut up dad I’m trying to concentrate!”

 

Nick smiled to himself. Ellie was a bright and athletic 15 year old, but cooking and delicate things weren’t her strong suit. It was her drive not to lose that ended up fueling her frustrated determination to cook an edible meal. But the last couple nights they had been eating charcoal.

 

“Ah!” Ellie screeched causing Nick to run into the kitchen.

 

A small flame had erupted on the stove where the meat should have been. Nick rushed forward and turned off the burner waving his arms about in an attempt to clear the dark smoke.

 

“Ok, El, I think its time for us to just throw in the towel. You need to go back to helping Ellis cook for a bit.”

 

Ellie sighed in frustration but didn’t argue.

 

“Why don’t you go change? I’ll figure out something to make for dinner.” Nick tossed the burnt food into the garbage.

 

He opened the cupboard and looked through their supplies. Ellie had nuked the last of their market meat but there was probably some scavenged Mac and cheese somewhere.

 

“…Dad…?” Ellie called from the living room. “Dad get out here…”

 

“Kinda busy El, whats going on?”

 

“Nick!” There was panic in her voice.

 

He rushed out into the living room and looked through the windows of the garage doors to see a young cadet and a couple of perimeter guards coming towards their home.

 

“No…Ellis…” He dropped the pot in his hands with a loud clatter and ran to the door, Ellie close behind him.

 

There was a tight knot in his chest and his brain was a mess with worry.

 

“Where is he? Where is Ellis? Why isn’t he home?”

 

“Major King, I am afraid there is some news that may be hard to hear-“

 

“He’s alive major!” The cadet stepped forward and saluted.

 

“What? Whats the news then?

 

“Excuse him Major.” The higher ranking perimeter guard glared at the enthusiastic cadet. “Captain Dei sent this cadet back to-“

 

“There was a horde, a huge horde, its headed straight this way and the Captain was injured on our way back.”

 

“Cadet James! If you speak out of turn one more time-!”

 

“Major Kings husband isn’t home and he has just seen military officials walking up to his house! How can the first thing out of your mouth be anything other than _he’s alive_?”

 

“Cadet James you will be remanded to-“

 

“My custody.” Nick interrupted the guard.

 

“What? But Major, this cadet needs to learn his place!”

 

“Soldier, you will return to your post and deal with the horde situation as your superiors order you to. This cadet is no longer your concern.”

 

“Major, with all due respect, we need you here to help defend the compound. Captain Dei sent word that there are thousands of zombies headed this way, they could easily destroy our walls! And you have been retired for 15 years! You wouldn’t last a minute against that horde!”

 

“I have been retired for 15 years so what use am I defending the walls? I’m going to get my husband. Return to your post soldier. Cadet James? You’re with me.”

 

“Major-!” The guard objected once more.

 

“Take one more step towards my father and I will break your arm.” Ellie stood between the guard and Nick. “He gave you an order soldier. Do as you’re told or you’ll be used as zombie bait.”

 

“Miss, you have no authority to-“

 

“No but _I_ do. Zombie bait sounds pretty good to me.” Nick raised an eyebrow.

 

“I…I’ll be returning to the perimeter…”

 

“Good idea.”

 

“Wow…” Kamau marveled as the guard turned rigidly and left. “You guys are a pretty tight family. Captain Dei is just like you two.”

 

“Cadet James?”

 

“Kamau James. Yes sir.” He saluted.

 

“Any objections to taking me to Captain Dei?”

 

“I think I’d object more if you tried to leave me here sir.”

 

“Spunky.” Ellie grinned. “You may be useful out there.”

 

“You aren’t going.”

 

“WHAT?!?”

 

“Ellie there is a damn horde headed this way! You haven’t killed zombies outside of controlled exercises! You’re staying here and I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

 

“Ellis is out there and he’s hurt! He’s my family too Nick! You know we stand a better chance if we have more people!”

 

“Ellie I said not another word!”

 

“Too fucking bad! I’m going Nick! I’m the best in my class! And I was put up a year! I’m more qualified than _this_ dude!”

 

“Ellisia Iphigenia!”

 

Ellie stopped and looked at her father with wide eyes.

 

“You are _not_ going! Ellis is hurt! We may not make it back! I have come to terms with losing him to this shitty world but I _will_ not lose _you_ to it! You are staying here!”

 

The silence was deafening. Tears welled up in the young girls eyes.

 

“What am I supposed to do if you both die?” She wept. “You said you’ve come to terms with losing him, but if that were true you wouldn’t be going out there…Its so dangerous that you don’t want me to go…Is this a suicide mission? Do you not intend on making it back?”

 

“Ellie…I have to protect you…Its my job. No…I don’t intend on dying out there. But I’m also not going to leave him to die. As long as he is alive I have to try and save him. But I can’t do that if I’m worrying about you.”

 

“Nick.” She grabbed his t-shirt lightly looking her father in the eyes. “You always said that _one person will die out there. Two people might live. Three people have a better chance. But four people…_ ”

 

 _“_ Four people left for dead…” Nick looked at the ground.

 

“You always told me that four people, left for dead, can make it if they stick together. You, me, Ellis…and this dude…makes four. I’m the best in my class dad. I can do this. I can help. We can all come home together.”

 

Nick sighed. “Ellis is going to kill me…”

 

Kamau looked at them wide-eyed. He admired the strength of this family, the courage of the young woman who could in one moment threaten a perimeter guard and the next look like a child asking for her fathers approval.

 

“Cadet James?” Nick turned to him.

 

“Yes sir!” He clapped his hands to his side in rigid attention.

 

“Lets go to the basement. We’re going to need some guns.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Doing ok there James?” Nick asked as he peered around the corner of a burnt out building.

 

“Still kind of shocked that you guys have an arsenal in your basement…”

 

“Ellis and I were survivors who were left behind in Savannah. We had to fight our way to New Orleans, most of the way on foot. Having guns near by is…a bit of a habit.”

 

“But its been almost 20 years since the first infection!”

 

“Ellis and I haven’ t stopped fighting them since then, so…guns.”

 

“Even in your retirement?”

 

“Ever since Ellie here learned how to walk I’ve been helping out in training perimeter guards like that shithead back there.”

 

“You guys really don’t mind swearing do you?

 

“Its the damn zombie apocalypse kid. When you’re the main course you’ll realize that words are just words.”

 

“But your daughter…”

 

“Would you shut the fuck up?” Ellie sighed.

 

Nick and his daughter looked at each other before ducking around the corner and making their way carefully through the street. Small clumps of the horde had broken off from the main group and were wandering in packs. It was dusk and they did their best not to startle them, but it wouldn’t be long before the shooting would start.

 

“Are you sure its this way?” Nick asked.

 

“Let me double check.” Kamau said peering around the corner. “There, see?” He pointed his flashlight to a brick wall after a zombie lumbered away from it. “I marked the way.”

 

There was a green bit of graffiti featuring the double bar sign for ‘captain’ with an arrow.

 

“Pretty clever kid. Ok, you two wait here. I’m going to check that the coast is clear around that other corner.”

 

“If your not back in five minutes we’re coming after you.” Ellie said.

 

Nick looked a bit upset but didn’t argue with her as he crept along the building wall.

 

“Your name is Kamau right?” Ellie asked watching her father slip out of sight. “You must be pretty new. I’m guessing you didn’t do much gun training in school.”

 

“How’d you figure that?”

 

“You left the safety on.”

 

“Shit.” He flipped the latch on his handgun feeling embarrassed. “Excuse me, I don’t usually swear.”

 

“I really don’t give a fuck.” Ellie sighed.

 

“I’m not actually that bad with guns. Well, _my_ gun. My dad left me his M1911. I’ve used other guns but they all feel strange to me. My dad had modified his gun and removed the safety so I’m not exactly in the habit of turning it on and off.”

 

“Wheres your gun?”

 

“I left it with Captain Dei. Along with all my ammo.”

 

“You left him _all_ your weapons?”

 

“No. I had this with me.” He brandished an almost regal-looking tanto knife.

 

“Still. You made it all the way back to the compound with only a knife. Thats actually kind of impressive. Most people would have kept their gun.”

 

“I figured he needed it more than I did.”

 

Ellie tried to hide a sad smile. She had easily overlooked him when they had first met. She was much more concerned with the safety of her father. But now that she had a chance to pay more attention to him she was rather impressed at his respect for Ellis. She smiled softly at him, hoping to convey her gratitude in a glance. It seemed to work as he half-smiled back at her.

 

“You’re kinda cute.” She said casually.

 

A soft tapping echoed down the street.

 

“Thats Nick.” She said rounding the wall and heading towards her father.

 

Kamau stood for a moment, shocked at her words. He looked down into a puddle at his own reflection. He had always thought he was a bit strange looking, with his tightly curled messy hair and wide nose. No one had ever commented on his looks before.

 

“What a strange girl…” He thought out loud to himself.

 

He looked down at his gun once more to make sure the safety was off and followed.

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Ellis, hey, Ellis!”

 

“N-Nick?” Ellis blinked heavily, the face of the conman slowly coming into focus.

 

“What are you doing falling asleep? What were you planing to do if a zombie came in while you were out?”

 

“At this point ma plan was t’ pretty much get eaten.”

 

“Don’t be such a baby. Look, its not even that bad.”

 

Ellis looked down at his injured leg. He had bandaged it with gauze and tape from the med kit Kamau had left him. Considering how bad it had seemed it really hadn’t gotten any worse. The bleeding had stopped and what he had thought was a break seemed now to be a hairline fracture.

 

“Lets get you up and back to the compound. Ellie is cooking dinner remember?”

 

“I’m not sure if I can walk Nick…”

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll carry you.” Nick lifted him easily into piggy back.

 

“Wow. Yer pretty strong fer a guy in his 50’s.”

 

“It’s my young lover keeping me spry!”

 

“What happened ta all the zombies?” Ellis looked around the empty street.

 

“That Cadet got back and warned every one in the compound. They set up road blocks and bait teams to lead the pack in different directions in order to split it off into smaller, manageable groups.”

 

“Smart. S’what I woulda done.”

 

“By the time we get back I’m sure everything will be back to normal. We will eat dinner, play some board games with our little girl, then go to bed. Maybe you and I can even make our own happy ending?”

 

“As tired as I am right now ah don’ think I’ll ever be too tired fer sex.”

 

“Wait till you get to be 55!”

 

“Well when ah’m 55 you’ll be 67! So if I’m tired of sex by then I think it may be better fer the both of us.”

 

“Maybe its time we start scavenging some little blue pills?”

 

“Ah hear that! Never too late t’ prepare!” He leaned forward and kissed Nick on the cheek. “But it hasn’t been a problem _yet_.”

 

They kept walking until the wall of the compound came into view. They could see Ellie standing up in one of the towers, waving happily and waiting for them to come inside.

 

“Put me down Nick. Ah think I can stand.”

 

“Lean on me if you need to.”

 

Ellis stood firmly on his own two feet and began walking towards the door.

 

“Its a good thing I had my coveralls on! These things are thick and hard to bite through!”

 

“Unlike my old suit!” Nick held up an arm brandishing the white material. “If I had known back in Savannah that I would be fighting for my life I would have worn jeans or something! Can you believe these things survived for this long?”

 

“Yea, strange isn’t it? Yer suit is still as white as it wus that day on the roof o tha hotel! Even after the mall, an’ the amusement park…an’ the swamp…”

 

“Whats wrong Ellis?”

 

He looked down at his coveralls and his ‘Bull Shifters’ t-shirt. He looked up at Nick, with the lipstick on his collar and the Hickey on his neck.

 

“…Nick?”

 

Ellis blinked heavily. He looked down at his injured leg. He had bandaged it with gauze and tape from the med kit Kamau had left him. The gauze and floor by his leg were soaked with blood and he could feel the painful swelling of his broken bone. Outside he heard zombies wandering the streets. Too many to count.

 

The blood loss made it hard to keep his eyes open, but he fought to stay conscious. He took more gauze out of the kit and removed the soaked bandage. The pants of his military fatigues were badly torn and through them he could see a large bite shaped mark on his leg where the skin had been torn away down to the meat. He bit down on the handle of his gun as he poured rubbing alcohol over the wound, feeling it burn and sizzlel the bacteria from the bite.

 

He wanted to cry but he didn’t have the strength. It took everything he had to keep his breathing quiet from the Zombies. Hands shaking and weak, he put a fresh bandage over his leg and fastened it. He let his arms fall heavily at his sides for a moment. His whole body felt like it weighed twice as much as usual. His vision was hazy and his deep breaths only made it worse. He did his best to calm himself by thinking of home.

 

He wondered if Nick really was coming to get him. He wasn’t sure he _wanted_ him to. Not in this terrible horde. Maybe it would have been better if he had told the cadet to report that he had died. Then at least Nick wouldn’t come looking for him. He and Ellie could live the rest of their lives happy in the compound. He thought of Rochelle, Zoey, Coach, Luis even Francis. He thought of Zephyr and Sean and their little boy. He thought of the day that Nick had died and the day he came back. He thought of Ellie. The way she had looked at him when he first picked her up in the hospital. How much he felt attached to her even though he didn’t know at the time that she would be his daughter. And he thought of the night before. The last night he had spent with his family.

 

Ellie had burnt the fish. Nick had a rare glass of wine with dinner, which ended up being leftovers from the last time someone other than their teenager had cooked. And before bed they had all watched an old recording of a hockey game long since passed. Hockey was Ellie’s favorite. All things considered it had been a good life. He had no regrets. Not even the zombie parts.

 

He closed his eyes wearily and let his chin fall to his chest.

 


	5. Chapter 5

“Its just around that corner.” Kamau pointed to another bit of graffiti he had left.

 

The groups of zombies had gotten worse. They did their best to stay hidden but they had to take a couple down to stay in one piece. Every bullet fired only brought more their way and the streets and buildings were full of them. Nick approached the corner and slowly leaned around the side to get a better feel for the last battle ground before they reached Ellis.

 

“Dad look out!” Ellie pushed him forward before he could tell what she was warning him about.

 

A tongue came down from the rooftop above them narrowly missing Nick and taking Ellie instead.

 

“No!” Nick shouted drawing several zombies their way.

 

“I’m fine!” She said through gritted teeth. “Get the horde while I cut through this thing!”

 

Ellie had held up her arm in time to stop the long muscular tongue from cutting off her air. She had been pulled up so that her toes were barely touching the ground, but with her wits about her she was able to begin sawing herself loose with her hunting knife.

 

Nick didn’t want to leave her to cut herself down but a crowd of zombies had quickly descended upon him. He felt their fits hitting his back and sides as he tried to push them away, but he was far too distracted by his daughters predicament to worry about his own.

 

Ellie had made it part of the way through the tongue but cutting herself loose while hanging in mid air wasn’t easy. Nick continued to push zombies away still trying to get to his girl. All of a sudden a loud shot rang through the street and the smoker fell heavily to the ground.

 

Kamau stepped forward and with one quick motion cut the tongue off the younger girl. The smoker hadn’t been killed. It struggled on the pavement, green ooze seeping from a bullet hole in its chest as it got to its feet. The long grotesque tongue began to retract back into its misshapen head to launch it once more, but Kamau stepped forward and kicked its feet out from under it. He stood above the disgusting creature and held his gun point blank at its skull.

 

“Wait” Ellie shouted, but he had already begun to pull the trigger.

 

A cloud of foul smelling smoke filled the street, exploding from the pustules in the creatures neck. They coughed and hacked as they inhaled the sulfuric spores. The urge to vomit arose in each of them, but they all managed to hold their breath and escape to the street. Unfortunately their escape was into a crowd of zombies.

 

Inhaling deeply Ellie looked about the street as fresh air filtered out the contaminant in her airways. She saw her father laying on his back holding off zombies, shooting with one hand and pushing biters back with the other. The environmental sound almost faded away as the adrenaline swept through her and she drew her Brigadier Beretta. 

 

Nick only heard the loud repeated bang of the pistol as zombies began to drop on top of him and around him. He heaved two corpses off himself as he sat up to see his daughter dropping her empty magazine and expertly inserting the next. She seemed lost in a rage as she quickly took out every last zombie in sight from where she stood.

 

After the last zombie fell she doubled over with her hands on her knees breathing heavily. She stooped to pick up her empty magazine and brushed her wild locks out of her face.

 

“Ellie. That was amazing!” Nick said, still on the ground. “You’re a crack shot!”

 

“Not really.” She confessed flipping a corpse over on its front. “If I was a crack shot I could nail them in the head. I usually have better success with the collar bone area. And 9 out of 10 times it kills them.But sometimes-“

 

Ellie and Nick turned as a loud bang echoed out from behind them. Kamau stood with his borrowed Smith and Wesson over what was clearly the tenth zombie.

 

“19 out of 20 isn’t bad either.” Kamau smiled.

 

Nick finally made his way to his feet and over to his daughter.

 

“You okay sweet heart?” He embraced her.

 

“Yea.” She said, happy to conceal a few tears from Kamau in her fathers shirt. “I hate it when that happens.”

 

“Do you nearly get killed by smokers a lot?” Kamau asked with genuine confusion.

 

Over his daughters head Nick shot the young cadet an angry look and held his fingers to his lips to silence him.

 

“Here Ellie, you should re-load”

 

“Thanks dad.”

 

As she moved on ahead, concentrating on the task at hand Kamau approached Nick.

 

“Everything ok?”

 

“She’s upset that she got caught by that smoker.” Nick said to him quietly.

 

“But, she saved you! And then she took out most of the zombies single handedly! She has nothing to be ashamed of…”

 

“She hates showing any kind of weakness. Its both her greatest strength and flaw.” He smiled.

 

“Did you guys teach her that?”

 

“No, I think she came programed that way.” Nick smirked. “But trust me when I say you don’t want to piss that girl off.”

 

Kamau grinned after him. Nick was clearly aware that Ellie didn’t share any physical similarities with him and his husband, but he seemed to be forgetting one key thing. She had learned a lot from her fathers. Ellie was the daughter of two of the greatest survivors of all time. And even without sharing any of their biology, she certainly shared their greatness.

 


	6. Chapter 6

The three rescuers quickly shuffled into the old convenience store as quietly as they could. A new wave of zombies had begun filtering around the corner into the street they had just cleared. Nick pointed to a dilapidated shelf and Kamau and Ellie quietly lifted it so as not to make a sound as they carried it to barricade the broken front door and hide them from the hoard.

 

“Find some more things to pile in the way.” Nick whispered to his daughter.

 

Most soldiers may have had a problem taking orders from a teenage girl but Kamau was a curiously humble person. He admired her headstrong ability at such a young age and had heard a great deal about Captain Dei and Major King’s ‘spunky’ daughter.

 

As Ellie silently policed the young man Nick turned and used what little light shone in through the dirt caked windows to look for a sign on his husband. He called his name lightly through the store, doing his best not to let his voice carry too far.

 

“Ellis~! Ellis~! Ell~ Oh my god.”

 

He found his husband laying behind the counter in a small pool of blood. His cheeks were horribly pale and his forehead was covered in a cold sweat. He was clearly unconscious, or worse. Nicks mind ran to its deepest most fearful corner and let him think of little else.

 

“No, no no no, Ellis don’t do this to me. Come on, wake up. Get up…Come ON Ellis!”

 

The younger man stirred suddenly from his sleep looking about full of fear and momentary delusion.

 

“Where-?” He began to give a dry cough as the dusty air flew quickly into his lungs. “Ni-? *cough cough* -ick? You can’t be here… I’m dreaming again? I…I must….But it hurts…” He hissed looking down at his bandages. “Fake again…Leave me ‘lone. Goin’ back ta sleep.”

 

“NO! No, Ellis, hey, look at me! I’m real. Look, I’m real.” Nick but his hands against his husbands face and brushed some strands of sweaty hair back under his cap. “We’re going to get you out of here.” He smiled through tears in his eyes as he leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.

 

“W-we?” Ellis blinked and looked around weakly. “Ok, now I _know_ ahm hallucinatin’ cuz there is no way ma husband would bring our damn teenage daughter out here…”

 

“Hey, I can’t get her to stop burning our food because of how stubborn she is. What makes you think I could leave her at home if she was determined to come? At least this way I can keep an eye on her.”

 

“Hi daddy.” Ellie said softly and innocently.

 

“y’ shoulda tied her t’ a chair…”

 

“She pulled the whole _four people left for dead_ bit on me. Tell me you wouldn’t have caved!”

 

“Tch’ you know idda’ caved! I’m the _fun_ dad! Woa…” Ellis put his hand to his head as his vision spun.

 

“He’s lost a lot of blood major…Whats his blood type?”

 

“You can’t be serious! We can’t transfuse him out here!”

 

“I’ve helped out at the hospital before. I know how to perform an emergency transfusion.”

 

“B+, I’m AB+. All I know is that I can’t donate to him.”

 

“I’m an O+ So it should be fine.”

 

“Wait! Kam, are you sure this is safe?” Ellie asked as he pulled some tubing, medical tape and a syringe out of his medkit.

 

“Safe? Its safe enough. He will be ok. I’ll keep everything clean.”

 

“I’m not only worried about my dad you know… We will need all of us to get back to the compound.”

 

“I’m 18. If anyone here is right to transfuse him its me.”

 

Ellie looked him in the eyes for a moment with a determined stare. He did not look away. She put her hands on either side of his face and drew him into a strong kiss.

 

“Get him on his feet and I’ll get us back to the compound. All of us.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

After a few moments Ellis felt his consciousness returning. As cohesive thought slowly returned to him he looked about the dusty old store at his husband closely monitoring his vital signs and his daughter guarding the entrance.

 

In front of him was the young dark skinned youth pumping a wad of cotton in his hand as blood flowed from his vein to his own.

 

“What are you…This is dangerous…we could all die…”

 

“Welcome back to the world of the living.” Nick smiled.

 

“Ah’m serious Nick…how could you let him do this? He’ll be weak now and he could…”

 

“ _Four people left for dead.”_ Ellie said from the door.

 

“Ellisia…” Ellis said warningly, but his daughter paid him no mind.

 

“I wanted to do it Captain. Better to have two slightly anemic people than one unconscious person.”

 

“In any other case ah’d agree with you. But this is mah family!”

 

“I know sir. And they care about you a lot.”

 

“Daddy, we’re already out here. There’s no use complaining!”

 

It was hard for him to argue with the stubborn girl. Especially when she was right. “Well I think I’m probably s’fishently fuzed by now…”

 

“Transfused…”

 

Ellis glared at Kamau as he cautiously removed the needle from his vein. “S’ whats the plan y’all?”

 

“Don’t die before we reach the compound.” Nick peered out the window.

 

“I wasn’t planing on it.” Ellis rubbed his arm.

 

“I wasn’t just talking to you…”

 

Ellis looked down at his wounded leg. It had been re-bandaged again and not by Nick or Ellie. It was far too expertly done.

 

“Y’ training’ ta be a soldier or a doctor?”

 

“Nurse actually. I was hoping to be a field nurse.”

 

“Think y’ just made it. Help me up.”

 

“Sir you need a moment before you stand up. You’re going to be dizzy.”

 

“Ah know. But I don’ wanna spend ‘ny more time out here than we have ta.”

 

Ellis was still pale, and as Kamau had said, he was dizzy. But leaning heavily on the countertop for support he managed to pull himself up.

 

“Wow! Hey! Ellis! Take it easy!” Nick rushed to his side as he swayed.

 

“Cadet James can’t give me more blood ‘r it will start ta affect him more than me. And ahm still losing blood, so we gotta move before we’re easy meals on slow wheels.”

 

“He’s right sir. We need to get him back to the compound for some real medical treatment. His field dressing will only hold him a while longer.”

 

“Mmmm, dressing…” Ellis licked his lips.

 

Kamau looked shocked to hear him joke as Nick pulled his left arm over his shoulder to bear some of the weight. But Ellie and Nick were relieved to know he was feeling well enough to be back to his old self. The father and daughter smiled at each other across the dusty store.

 

“Theres some fresh market ranch at home daddy.” She grinned. “And plenty of celery.”

 

“Nah, I want me some greasy soggy fries.” Ellis licked his lips. “Well sheet, I guess ah gotta survive now.”

 

“Thats the spirit.” Nick clapped him on the back gently as they began to move.

 

Ellis winced heavily with every other step and had to stifle a cry of pain at least once as he and his husband lumbered out of the store and into the neighboring strip mall hallway.

 

“The back way is barricaded from the inside which is why we couldn’t come in that way, but from here it should be faster to get back to the compound that way.” Kamau pointed, his fathers gun ready in his other hand.

 

“I’ll lead the way.” Ellie moved ahead.

 

“Wait but-“

 

“El…

 

“Monster ah don’t think y’ should-“

 

“If the three of you finish those sentences you’ll be eating through straws for the next 3 weeks.”

 

The boys all held their tongues but continued to look at her with concern.

 

“Dad, you’re holding Daddy up and Kam isn’t going to be a great shot after a transfusion. I have the best chance of shooting anything coming at us. If Kam watches from behind we will have everything covered. So lets move.”

 

“W-well…you heard the lady.” Ellis smiled through cold sweat and pain. “Lets git goin’.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

The streets had become more and more bare as they got closer to the compound, but the stench of rotting flesh and infected blood told them the hoard couldn’t be far off. Ellie was on high alert. She heard every footstep, every insect, every gust. She hoped that the wind wouldn’t carry the scent of her fathers bleeding leg to attract a horde, but if it did she was ready for it.

 

“You hear that?” Ellie said quietly signaling the group to stop.

 

“That doesn’t sound like your typical hoard howl…” Kamau commented bleakly.

 

She found a ladder leading to the roof of a outlet store and began to climb.

 

“Should we…?” Kamau began but Ellie shook her head no.

 

“I’m just going to check. Keep an eye out.”

 

Once on the roof Ellie found two and a half common infected stumbling about and killed them all with ease and silence using her hunting knife. She walked over to the far edge of the building, relieved to see the compound walls rising out of the city not too far in the distance. But it was short lived. The sound of screams and moans came from what appeared to be a raging river of infected blocking their path. There was no way they would make it around that horde.

 

“Shit.” Nick cursed upon hearing the news. “They’re probably leading them out into the open so they can split them into smaller groups and disperse the pack. So what do we do now?”

 

“Theres gotta be a safe house nearby right? We’re going to have to barricade ourselves for the night and hope the hoard has moved along by morning.” Ellie was already looking around them for a safe house sign.

 

“El-Ellis?” Nick said suddenly.

 

They turned to see his head bobbing just before he fell into Nick who gently guided him to the ground.

 

“Daddy!” Ellie ran over to him.

 

“K-Kamau whats going on?” Nick asked desperately, panic in his voice.

 

“He’s going into hypovolemic shock…” The young man checked his superiors heart rate and breathing.

 

“What do we do?” Ellie too was starting to panic.

 

“First we should find cover. Come on!” He lifted Ellis’s feet while Nick took him by the shoulders.

 

“There!” Ellie pointed, finally finding the safe house sign she had been looking for.

 

“Quick!” Kamau urged.

 

Nick laid him down gently as Ellie rushed to seal the door. Being that this particular safe house was close to the compound, it had been recently stocked. Much to their relief.

 

“Get him a blanket! Elevate his legs!”

 

Nick opened a bottle and attempted to pour water in his husbands mouth.

 

“That won’t help him Major! We have to get it to him intravenously!” Kamau was already removing the tubing and the IV needle from his pack.

 

“K-Kamau…? I think…I think he’s not…” Nick put his head near Ellis’s lips listening and feeling for a breath.

 

He dropped his medkit and checked for a pulse. “Shit.”

 

Ellie was alarmed to hear him swear. He had been so conservative about it before that she knew it must be dire.

 

“His heart has stopped, he’s not breathing.”

 

“What?!?” Nick gasped.

 

“Move! I’m starting CPR!” He started to breathe into him and compress his chest. After a couple of rounds he looked up during his compressions at Nick and Ellie. “I can’t stop or he will die.” He breathed into him once more. “I need you two to make a volume expander.”

 

“A what-?”

 

“Saline solution!”

 

“Right!” Nick ran to the cupboard and found salt.

 

“Ellie, pour one part salt and four parts water into that plastic bottle and mix it up.” He stopped compressions and breathed into his lips. “Nick, cut a hole in the bottle cap and secure that tubing to it. Squeeze the liquid through so there are no bubbles. Ellie, try to find a vein in his arm.”

 

Once the IV was applied husband and daughter waited, barely a breath between them, desperately watching for signs of life. After a moment Kamau stopped and took a pulse.

 

“His heart is beating! Hand me that intubator!” He fed a smaller piece of tube into Ellis’s throat through his mouth and attached a manual pump.

 

Ellie and Nick both sighed as they watched his chest slowly rise and fall.

 

“N-Nick…Could you come do this?” Kamau asked weakly. “I think I’m going to faint…”

 

Nick nodded rushing to his side and continuing the rhythm of the pump. Kamau sat back looking ashen and tired. Ellie rushed to his side and guided his head against her shoulder allowing him to lay comfortably.

 

“Y-you should be helping your dad…” He closed his eyes swallowing the dry lump in his throat.

 

“I am helping my dad. We are going to need you to keep him alive.” She opened a bottle of water and gently tipped it to his mouth.

 

He swallowed weakly then sighed trying to control his breathing.

 

“…You saved his life just now…Nick and I wouldn’t have known what to do…”

 

“Good to know I am useful for something.”

 

She kissed his cheek and rested hers against his head.

 

“Thank you.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

Kamau opened his eyes. He felt sick to his stomach but a bit of water helped. The sun was streaming in through the window and Ellie had taken over watching Ellis while Nick slept against the wall.

 

“We took out the intubator when he began to cough and breathe on his own.” She saw him awake.

 

“He’s breathing? Thank god! Has he woken up?”

 

“Not yet…”

 

Kamau looked disappointed. “We will have to wait and see then…”

 

“Wait and see what?”

 

“If…If I did CPR wrong or if we didn’t get him enough oxygen in time he could have brain or organ failure…”

 

“I’m…I’m actually not worried about that.”

 

“What?”

 

“Call it a stupid hunch but…I feel like you did it right. I trust that you did. I believe that you did. In fact, I’m certain of it.”

 

“How can you be?”

 

“I guess its just faith in you, but…I just have a feeling…”

 

“I…I hope you’re right.”

 

“How do you feel?”

 

“I’m going to be honest…I’ve felt better. Did you get any sleep?”

 

“I tried to but…” She shook her head, staring sadly at her father. “I’m named after him you know.”

 

“You are?”

 

“Yea. It was Nick. He said it was an accident. But, he named me after the person he loves. I actually love it. Not a lot of kids get to grow up with parents that care about each other as much as mine do.” She laughed. “So many people think I’m lacking something because I never had a mother but… I couldn’t ask for better parents.”

 

“I know. My…my older sister is gay.”

 

“She is?”

 

He nodded. “My mom was very upset about it at first. My mother used to be very religious.”

 

“Used to be?”

 

“She put my sister through hell trying to ‘fix’ her. But after years of trying to change her and making her miserable, she finally saw her and her girlfriend together and realized it was the only time she had seen her truly happy. I’d say my mother is still one of the most religious people I know. But…she kind of makes up her own rules about it now.” He laughed lightly and smiled.

 

“And…your sister?”

 

“Learned to forgive my mom. She’s married now, with 3 kids.”

 

“Wow!” Ellie couldn’t hide her bright smile. “Congratulations! I’ve got to admit…Its pretty nice to know someone who’s family is as gay as mine.”

 

“Nick is bi.”

 

“Daddy?!?”

 

“He hates when folks call ‘im gay.”

 

Ellie wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close.

 

“E-Ellis?” Nick sat forward, wide awake upon hearing his lovers voice. “Ellis are you…?”

 

“Not dead yet.” He raised a thumb weakly.

 

Nick rushed forwards and hugged him, desperately kissing him and trying not to cry.

 

“Wha’d I miss?” He asked his daughter in surprise.

 

“You died dumbass!”

 

“Pretty sure ah didn’t.”

 

“You kind of did Captain Dei…”

 

“Wow…that sucks…How’d you-?”

 

“This kid saved your life.” Nick quickly wiped the back of his wrist over his eyes. “Gave you CPR and got your heart beating again.”

 

“Is that why ma chest hurts like… _real_ bad?”

 

“Once we get back to the compound you may want to get a chest x-ray. Its not uncommon to have rib and sternal fractures after that…”

 

“Hello? Anyone out there?!?” Came a voice from outside. “Captain Dei? Major King? Hello?!?”

 

“Here! We’re here!” Ellie called opening the door.

 

“Ellie!”

 

“Uncle Francis!”

 

“Oh thank god. This is Monday to Young, do you copy?”

 

“~Copy Monday~.” Zoe’s voice crackled over the radio.

 

“I found them. Southern quadrant by the Shop N mart. Bring a stretcher.”

 

“~All of them?~”

 

“Yes. All of them.” Francis smiled.

 


End file.
